Slater-Marietta High School's First Football Team, 1946

Slater-Marietta High School fielded its first ever football team in 1946. "The Slater News" reported the following at the end of the 1946 season. "Pictured are the members of the first football squad in the history of Slater-Marietta School. The members of the team knew nothing about football but under the guidance of Coach W.A. Woodruff, they developed fast and acquitted themselves well. They recorded 3 wins, 2 losses and 2 ties in the seven game season. Coach Woodruff was a former University of South Carolina football star and also played the game during his military service.

The team opened the season in mid-October, 1946 by traveling to Duncan and earned a 7-0 victory. The two teams battled to a 0-0 score through the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter Russell Hampton received a lateral from Knight (no first game was given) and galloped 55 yards for the touchdown. This was Slater-Marietta's first touchdown ever!

In the second game of the season the boys visited Welcome High School and fell 49-7. Knight scored in the fourth quarter on a 65 yard quarterback keeper. That loss was followed by a game against Greer in the first night game for the Slater-Marietta boys and the two teams battled it out to a 6-6 tie which game the team a 1-1-1 record.

In the fourth game of the season Slater-Marietta defeated Roebuck 28-0 and that victory was followed by a 0-0 tie with Greenville in the fifth game of the year. Next came a 7-0 loss to Piedmont in another road contest.

Slater-Marietta, with a 2-2-2 record finally played its first ever home football game against Parker and improved to 3-1-2 with a 12-7 win over the Golden Tornadoes. Several hundred folks attended the game and were very pleased with the final score and a 3-2-2 mark on the season. Coach Woodruff was pleased with the play of the team that year especially considering none of the boys had any football experience. The team and schedule had been put together on short notice and did not have uniforms until the first part of October.